Electric fuse.



F. I. THIEBAUT.

ELECTRIC FUSE. APPLICATION FILED APR. 13. 19w.

Patented Mar. 18, 1919.

FRANCIS IGNATIUS THI EiBAU-T, OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA.

ELECTRIC FUSE.

Specification of Letters Patent. I

Patented Mar. 18, 191 9.

Application filed April 13, 191-8. Seri'aYNo. 2283461.

T 0 all whom it may concern Be it known that I, FRANCIS I. TI-nEBA-U'r, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of San Francisco, in the county of San Francisco and State of California, have invented a new. and Improved Electric Fuse, of which the following is a description.

My invention relates to an electric fuse and more particularly to a fuse in which a permanent holder is adapted to receive a fusible wire ina. manner to permit ofrenewal of the wire as required, so that, except for the fusing of the wire, the life of the fuse may be perpetuated.

Objects of the invention are to provide a construction of the holder that will insure durability even under excessive heat and rough usage; to facilitate the renewal: of the wire; to provide means whereby the proper positioning of the wire may be-efi'ected with facility; and to insure the retention of the fuse wire in its position.

More specific objects of the invention are to provide a fuse holderemploying a transparent glass body having end caps readily attachable and detachable for the placing of the wire, together with co-engaging means on the caps and body to retain the caps and restrain them against any movement that would displace the wire; and to embody the novel features in a simple and inexpensive form.

leference is to be had to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification, it being understood that the drawings are merely illustrative of one example of the invention.

Figure 1 is a. side elevation of a fuse embodying my invention;

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal central section thereof;

Fig. 3 is a View of the fuse at one end showing the cover element thereof swung laterally from its normal position;

Fig. l is a View similar to Fig. 3 but showing the opposite end of the fuse;

*ig. 5 1s a cross sectional View;

Fig. 6 is a detail in vertical section corresponding with the upper portion of Fig. 2 but taken at right angles to the latter figure.

In carrying out my invention in practice, a transparent cylindrical body 10 is formed of glass of a character that will stand a high heat and rough usage and is formed with a throughbore 11 which is of a size quite out of proportion to the size of a fuse wire 12 which is adapted to extend therethrough, whereby clearance will be provided for the wire and an air space preserved about the same between the wire and the walls of the body 10.

In the cylindrical body 10, at the exterior,

near each end, a groove or grooves 13 are produced, the grooved portions being broken at one or more places-toprod-uce one or more laterally projecting members 14. Each end of the body 10 is adapted to receive a metallic cap, the cap at one end being designated 15 and the cap at the other end 1'5,

and each cap is formed with an annular rim 16 adapted to fit the tube. The inner edge ofeachrim 16 is slotted toproduce an annular series of resilient tongues 17 winch are depressed, whereby to spring into the grooves 18 for retaining the cap against displacement longitudinally of the tube.

The series of spring fingers 17 is noncontinuous, one or more of the fingers being.

omitted to produce notches 18' corresponding with and receiving the projections 1%,

concentric'with but of smaller diameter than the bore 11 of the body, whereby the wire will be centered at the entering end of the body. In the opposite cap 15 a hole 19 is produced substantially the same diameter as that of the bore 11 and concentric with the latter, the larger opening-.19 facilitating the outwardpassage of'tlie fuse wire when being placed in position. The cap 15 is provided with a radial depression 21 forming a depressed seat to receive the laterally bent end of the fuse wire 12 and said radial seat extends to the center inlet opening 19. In the cap 15 at the opposite end there is a similar radial depression 21 and to carry the seat to the center of the opening 19, whereby to center the wire 12 at that end of the body 10, a tongue 21 is produced on the cap 15 and extends radially inward to the approximate center of the hole 19, the depressed seat 2.1 being continued through said tongue.

To lock the turned-over ends of the fuse 12 in the seats 21, 21 I provide cover plates 22 pivoted to the respective end caps 15, 15 by pins 23 or the like, adjacent to the periph cries of said cover plates, so that said plates may swing in their own planes to cover or uncover the seats 21, and the turned-over ends of the fuse wire on said seats. The cover plates may be held in position in any suitable manner, there being indicated for the purpose projections 24 at the inner sides of said plates adapted to snapinto corresponding depressions at the outer ends of the caps 15, 15.

It will be readily understood from the foregoing that with the fuse wire clamped at its ends beneath the covers 22 and held in the seats 21, 21, the wire will be held centered since the resilient tongues 17 prevent axial displacement of the caps and the projections 14 in the notches 18 prevent a turning movement of the caps that would be likely to twist the wire off from the seat 21.

I would state in conclusion that While the illustrated example constitutes a practical embodiment of my invention, I do not limit myself strictly to the mechanical details herein illustrated, since manifestly the same can be considerably varied without departure from the spirit of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

1. A fuse of the class described including a body having a throughbore, a fuse wire disposed axially therein, the diameter of said bore being materially greater than that of the wire, detachable caps on the ends of saidbody each presenting a rim fitting the exterior of the body, the rims of the caps and the body adjacent to the end having 00- engaging means to prevent displacement of the caps, radially depressed seats in the ends of the caps, the cap atone end having a central hole for the passage of the wire, said hole being materially smaller than the bore of the body and concentric with said bore,

the opposite cap having a hole therein in register with and approximately the same diameter as said bore, the last-1nenti0ned cap having a radially depressed seat for the Wire and having a tongue at the inner end of the seat extending radially at a side of the bore and terminating adjacent to the center of the bore, the last-mentioned seat being continued through said tongue, and covers on said caps movable over said seats or away from the same, the ends of the wire being bent and accommodated in said seats beneath the covers.

2. A fuse holder of the class described adapted to receive a fuse wire, said holder including a body having a throughbore, and detachable caps thereon, the one cap having a central opening concentric with the bore and of smaller diameter than the latter, the cap at the opposite end having an opening concentric with the bore and approximately the same diameter as the bore, said caps having radial depressed seats in the ends thereof leading to the approximate centers of the caps and adapted to receive the turned-over ends of a fuse wire, and covers on said caps movable to positions to cover the seats and clamp the wire therein, or to positions away from said seats.

3. A fuse holder of the class described including a body having a throughbore, and caps removably fitting the ends of the body, one cap having a central hole therein of smaller diameter than the bore, the opposite cap having a hole approximately the same diameter as the bore, and a tongue extending from the cap at a side of the bore to the approximate center of the latter, the ends of said caps having radial seats therein adapted to receive the ends of a fuse wire, the seat in the first-mentioned cap extending to the central hole thereof, and the seat in the opposite cap extending radially inward through the said projection; together with means to hold the wire on said seats.

FRANCIS IGNATIUS THI-EBAUT.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. G. 

